Highpointing

Key takeaways

Highpointing belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Highpointing to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Highpointing from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Highpointing is the activity of ascending to the point with the highest natural elevation within a given area, known as the highpoint. Those who pursue the activity are known as highpointers. Highpointing has been considered a subset of peak bagging, the goal of which is to reach the summit of every mountain on a certain list.

History and background

Highpointing has its roots in the United States. Starting in the early 20th century, a few pioneers of highpointing began visiting the highest natural point in each of the 50 U.S. states. In the early days, this endeavor involved dispute and original research, as the tools to precisely map the country were just beginning to find widespread use. The first person to successfully climb each U.S. state highpoint was Arthur H. Marshall, who finished in July 1936, on Indiana's Hoosier Hill, when there were only 48 states. Vin Hoeman was the first person to climb the highest point in all 50 U.S. states, finishing in 1966. Today, U.S. state highpointing appeals to a wide range of individuals, from families to mountaineers. Not all highpointers have the goal of completing the entire list, instead choosing to pursue the activity to see different parts of the country. Highpointers often take road trips to climb multiple high points in an outing. According to the Highpointers' Club, founded in 1988, the activity has a following of more than 10,000 people. Over 300 people have been recorded to have summited the highest elevation in each U.S. state, with roughly ten people per year. U.S. state highpoints range in difficulty from nondescript flat points accessible by road, to moderate, hilly hikes, to glaciated mountains requiring specialized skills. Some highpointers extend the fifty U.S. state high points to include the highest point in the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories. John Michler and Reid Larson became the first two people to climb the territory highpoints in addition to the state highpoints, finishing in 2018 on Agrihan, Northern Mariana Islands.

Speed records In 1991, a team consisting of Pete Allard, Jim Grace, Shaun Lacher, David Sandway and Dennis Stewart, who called themselves "The Highpoint Hoppers," set the first recognized record for climbing the highest point in each of the lower contiguous states in the fastest time. The team began on the summit of Mount Rainier in Washington at midnight on July 1 and finished on the summit of Gannett Peak in Wyoming on July 31, thus completing their goal of ascending all 48 state highpoints in one calendar month. Their time was 30 days, 10 hours and 52 minutes. For their effort, the Highpoint Hoppers got recognition in the Guinness Book of Records. Fifteen years later, British climber Jake Meyer broke the speed record for climbing the lower 48 highpoints in 23 days, 19 hours and 31 minutes in 2006. The record stood until American siblings Josh and Lindsay Sanders broke the record in 19 days, 7 hours and 37 minutes in 2015. In 2018, Colin O'Brady broke the speed record for climbing all 50 state highpoints, finishing in 21 days. The previous record was 41 days, set in 2016.

Other forms of highpointing The Seven Summits, or the highest mountain on each continent, is a popular form of highpointing. Some highpointers pursue the highest points of U.S. counties, often choosing to focus on a specific state or group of states. Climbs to the highest points of states, provinces, or territories in countries such as Canada, Australia, Germany, among others, has been recorded in addition to the U.S. states and territories. Len Vanderstar became the first Canadian to reach the highest point in each of the country's provinces and territories, finishing in 2017 on Barbeau Peak, Nunavut. No person has climbed the highest point in every country in the world. Ginge Fullen has climbed 174 country highpoints, the most of anyone in the world. Fullen was the first person to climb the highest point in each of the 47 countries of Europe, along with the fastest to climb Africa's 53 country highpoints, done prior to the separation of South Sudan. Francis Tapon has climbed 50 of the 54 African country highpoints.

See also Peak bagging Geocaching Lists of highest points List of countries whose highest point is not on the mainland

References

External links Highpointers' Club Media related to Highpointing at Wikimedia Commons

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Highpointing

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Highpointing claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Highpointing before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Highpointing ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Highpointing

In research: Highpointing appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Highpointing in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Highpointing is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Highpointing, Outdoor locating games, Outdoor recreation, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Highpointing outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Highpointing in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Highpointing means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Highpointing out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Highpointing in simple terms?

Highpointing is the activity of ascending to the point with the highest natural elevation within a given area, known as the highpoint. Those who pursue the activity are known as highpointers.

Why does Highpointing matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Highpointing?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Highpointing.